As some of you might know, I’m an Israeli teenager, and I work with a group of retarded (or should I say mentally disabled? I’m lousy in being PC in English, please forgive me…) adults. I’ve once told an anecdote about one of my guys, called Avi, and I’ve decided to be more anonymous, so today will be the story of “X”.
Well, X is usually one of the warmer, nicer guys I’ve got. We went on a trip together to Mount Carmel, and from some reason, he went into this autistic trans (he isn’t autistic!), spoke nastily to the others, rudely to me and to the guy working with me. X totally ignored anything my friend or I told him, and only made moaning sounds, like a vicious bear. We called the hostel (a collective home where a group of disabled people over 18 live under the supervision of social workers), and the manager just told us that there was nothing she could do (even after she spoke with X), and that punishments don’t help and we have to “flow with him”. Yeah right,flow, after the guy just poured cold water on my portable (only) stove, in a place where I am not allowed to light a normal fire...
Anyway, we somehow “managed” to forget the oil, so the guy who was with me went a bit south (don’t worry, it wasn’t very far away, half a mile to the most) to get some oil from the local Druses. That meant I was left alone with the group. X disappeared from my eyesight, but I supposed that he was just in the yard in front of the closed monastery, because from some reason he liked hanging around there. I was preparing the salad with my group, when suddenly one of the said: “Look, X is walking over there!” I suddenly realized that X, after seeing my friend walking south, decided to walk the same way!
I ran towards him like a skyrocket, and breathlessly called firmly: “X! Come over here, now !” X only did the same bearlike movement and sound, and threw a stone at me. I knew that shouting wouldn’t do any good, but when I saw him pick up the second stone, I knew I had to think fast.
“Ah, so you think you’re a monster, eh? Well, I’m a cool monster AARRGHHHH” and I did a very close imitation of a grizzly bear. X seemed to like it, because he moaned back at me, and dropped the stone. I told him “come, if you’re a cool monster, you’re coming with me!” Step by step, X walked towards me, while we were each looking really like two, not-blue cookie monsters. He almost reached the place where I was standing, when I suddenly realized that I had no idea as to how long this game will have him going, and if it will be enough for having him get back to the place where my group was. So I told him “hey, why are you coming with me, I only let cool monsters walk with me”. At this point, X came, almost running, to my standing place, and the game kept him with us until the trip ended.
Hurray! I hope you enjoyed the story…
-Beanny
*Edited for typos, I'm sure I've missed a few...
[ April 18, 2005, 09:49 AM: Message edited by: Beanny ]
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Good for you. It sounds like you know how to react with love.
Posted by Beanny (Member # 7109) on :
thanks Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
We're not a particularly politically correct board, so I don't believe the word "retarded" is particularly objectionable in the context you're using it.
In other words, s'all good.
-Trevor
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
That's an adorable story. You handled that really well!
Posted by Beanny (Member # 7109) on :
I've just spoken with one of my group members (not X), and he was so enthisusiastic about the trip! He wouldn't let me go, he repeatedly said "we must go there again! We have to!" It was so nice of him... Yet after several minutes, it was kind of tiring... Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
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